Chapter 14: Welcome to my home, part 1
10:45 am
Göring lived in a two-story sand-colored house near the boxing gym where he trained. The house also included a garage.
"Do you own a vehicle?" El asked her.
"A Mercedes-Benz W136." The landlady answered her.
"Do you only use vintage cars on board?"
"No, not just those. But now let's go inside. "
Once through the front door they found themselves in a corridor.
"And now?" El asked.
"Now it's time for the meal." Was Göring's reply.
"But isn't it too early for lunch?"
"You don't understand ... Follow me."
She led her into the kitchen, a room with a white tiled floor that contained a fridge, stove, sink, some cupboards (including one for dishes), a table, a cabinet with a television on it, and finally a sort of of reliquary that contained ...
"But ... Is that a snake?" El asked uneasily.
"A reticulated python. It comes from India. "
"Is it the meal for him?"
"Exactly."
El was suddenly suspicious.
"Say a little ... I won't be the meal, will I?"
Göring laughed.
"You stayed at the old… Timeline, right? The one where I was a cruel torturer. "
The raven did not reply, merely glancing fearfully at the python in the case (about 7 meters long) and at the girl next to her.
"Don't worry, someone else will be his meal."
Having said that she went out into the corridor.
Damn… Even though I know this Göring is not the same as the… previous Timeline I still can't trust it.
After a couple of minutes, Göring returned, taking a piggy with her, which she threw into the case and closed it again. The animal just had time to take a few steps that it found itself wrapped in the coils of the python, which began to crush it. The pig let out a series of high-pitched shrieks, under El's horrified gaze and Göring's amused.
"Look at him, with his tongue out!" She commented the latter cheerfully.
She is sadistic!
El thought Meanwhile.
After a few seconds the screams died away, a sign that the piglet was dead.
"Where did you get that?"
"I told you, he comes from India."
"I meant the pig."
"Ah, that? It comes from a farm. Every now and then, when we land in a port, I manage to get a couple. "
"And they all end up in his belly?"
"Obvious. But now follow me, I'll show you the house. "
The first room she showed her was a kind of gymnasium that contained a bike, weights, dumbbells and other equipment.
"Here I train at least for three hours a day." Göring explained.
El looked around.
"You really are a gym fanatic."
"Of course."
"This instead ... I call it the Kriegsraum."
"The what?"
"The War Room… Or Sala de guerra, as they would say to Blue Division. Here the student council and other high-ranking school officials (such as Panzer's commanders) hold meetings."
The room in question housed a round table with about 15 chairs around it, and a plasma television on the front wall.
"There are at least three of these rooms: one is this, the second is in Himmler's house and the third is Hilda's dining room."
"Do you use them often?" El asked.
"Just to discuss the most important topics, such as strategies to discuss before a match and other issues."
"I see…"
"Now that you are a tank commander, you too can participate."
She looked at her in amazement.
"Huh? Me?"
"Exactly, you have every right to have since you have been appointed tank commander."
"I see…"
"This is the bathroom."
El looked at it: even though it wasn't as luxurious as Hilda's, it was still well cared for.
"If you like, you can take a shower." Göring told her.
"But I have no spare clothes."
"Ah, yeah, that's right ... Well, you can always stay naked."
That last sentence made El blush, who turned to her interlocutor.
"Stay naked?"
The stocky girl replied about her by giving her a lewd look and licking her lips.
"Of course ... Now let's go upstairs."
On the upper floor, Göring said:
"Can you wait a moment in the corridor?"
"Sure ..." El replied.
"Danke!"
She went into a nearby room and when she came out, a few minutes later, she had changed clothes. Now, instead of the high uniform, she wore a blue miniskirt and a short-sleeved shirt of the same color.
"That's your bedroom, right?"
"Exactly, El. If you want, I'll show it to you."
"Yup."
Goring's room was more untidy than Hilda's guest room: the (single) bed was unmade, some clothes were piled on a chair and others were thrown on the floor. The walls were covered with various posters: one represented the famous American boxer Mike Tyson, another was a post from Fallout (a famous videogame saga) which depicted an Enclave soldier and the inscription:
Democracy is not negotiable
Etc.
. The furniture consisted of the aforementioned bed, two bedside tables, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe.
"I apologize for the mess, but I haven't set foot in the house since yesterday morning." The landlady justified herself.
"How come?"
"Well ... First the matter of the spies, then your appearance, then I made my usual tour of the ship, then dinner at Hilda's house ..."
"Do you like walking?"
"Yup. Every day I walk around the entire ship. You need to keep me fit. "
"Have you been doing this for a long time? I intend to walk. "
"Since childhood. Sometimes I wandered the streets of Rosenheim, my hometown. Sometimes in the countryside. "
"In the country side?"
"Yes, when we visited my grandparents. It rarely happened, but it did. "
"What types were they?"
Goring shot her a dirty look.
"Would that be an interrogation?" She asked.
"I just wanted to get acquainted ... After all, we are teammates now." El justified himself, looking down.
"I understand ... Anyway my grandfather was called Paul, born in 1914. My grandmother instead Klara, born in 1922. He fought in Poland, France and Russia."
"Was he a soldier?"
"A tanker. He operated under the command of Erich von Manstein. "
"What was his tank?"
"A Panzer IV."
"What role did he have?"
"Gunner."
"I understand ... But was he a member of the Party?"
"I've never asked him, but probably yes. He once called Hitler a gentleman. "
That news shocked El.
"Hitler a gentleman?"
"Amazed, huh? And we're talking about recent times, when I was visiting him. "
"So ... He was a staunch Nazi."
"Exactly."
"I understand ... Now he's dead, right?"
"Yup. From 8 years."
"What about your grandmother?"
"Dead too her."
"How long?"
"Five years ago."
"Do your folks live on board?"
Göring looked at her annoyed.
"Do you think you've seen them around?"
"Ah, that's right ... Excuse the obvious."
Having said that, El preferred not to ask further questions, fearing to irritate the landlady.
At the same time, in another part of the carrier school, Kay and Himmler had just arrived near the house of the second girl. It was a three-story, hazelnut colored building. In front of it they noticed two girls: one of the two Swedish twins, the other a girl with long black hair that reached her back and purple eyes wearing the punishment uniform, which was black and white stripes. The two girls were engaged in heated discussion, and they spoke loud enough to be heard.
"You can tell Hilda and her bitches to kiss my ass! I want my laptop, my cell phone and my student status back! " The dark-haired girl exclaimed.
"Stick with these demands and you will be expelled from school, Mandy! The orders of the council are not discussed! " Replied the blonde SS.
"I can spend all day insulting you if I have to!"
"Himmler warned you! No illicit materials! Yet you were surprised with some volumes of Case Closed, and even in your internet history we found that you watched Konosuba (AKA Konoshit)! Those works are prohibited on board! And don't come up with phrases like you're going to tell your parents, because your money doesn't matter here! Wealth does not make you superior to other students!"
"But what harm is there if I read and watch certain manga and anime?"
"Nothing, as long as they are not outlawed! But that's not the only point! We were told that you and some of your friends enjoy annoying three of your companions: Sam, Alex and Clover! "
"Who told you this nonsense?"
"It doesn't matter, it's a reliable source! Now either you start to go straight or you find another school!"
Having said that, the policewoman looked at Himmler and Kay, then she turned back to her interlocutor.
"Now get out of the way!" She ordered to her.
"Fuck you!" It was the other girl, that she turned her heels and walked away, moving away in the opposite direction to where Himmler and Kay were.
"That pain in the ass again ..." The bespectacled said, irritated.
"Do you know her?" Kay asked her.
"Her name is Mandy Hale, American. Never met a more undisciplined and arrogant student. " Was the answer.
"I hope that girl isn't on the team."
Himmler shook his head.
"She doesn't like panzerfahren. She is in the painting club. "
"Thank goodness ..." Kay said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"At this rate, however, she will be thrown out."
"It would be good, I think ... It seems to me the classic rotten apple, presumptuous, overbearing and troublemaker."
"That's right, in fact."
"Did you have any bad apples in Saunders?"
"No ... Except maybe Arisa."
"Because of her misbehavior in matches?"
"Yup. And sometimes she got temperamental and irritating. But after all she was a good girl ... In fact, she is her."
"Okay ... But now let's go."
They approached the house, and Ingrid (or Rebecca) gave Himmler a military salute.
"Welcome back, Reichsführer!" She greetings her.
"Thanks. Did anyone show up during my absence (apart from that stupid bitch)? "
"Nobody."
Himmler nodded and, after picking up a set of keys, walked over to the door.
Kay made her move to follow her, but the SS stopped her.
"And where do you think you're going?" She asked her, inquiringly.
"But… Don't you recognize me? We met at the restaurant, you were with your sister!" She replied, confused.
"I've never seen you in my life!"
"Let her pass, she's with me." Himmler intervened.
"Ah, understood."
Having said that, the girl stepped aside from her, letting her pass.
Himmler opened the door, then turned to his host:
"Welcome to my home."